In a system having multiple computer systems connected via one or more computer networks, different portions of computing resources for processing a task may reside in different computer systems. The use of a predetermined communication protocol allows the computer systems to communicate with each other in a predetermined way to utilize the resources that are distributed among the computer systems for the processing of the task. Improvements to the communication protocol can improve the performance of the system as a whole and/or improve the functionalities of the system as a whole. In some instances, improvements to the communication protocol can improve the performance of some of the individual computer systems and/or improve the functionalities of the individual computer systems.
For example, a typical electronic payment processing network has a transaction handler interconnecting a plurality of acquirer processors and a plurality of issuer processors according to an electronic communication standard. The electronic payment processing network has the capability to process certain transactions, such as credit card or debit card transactions, but may not have the capability to process other transactions, such as reward point transactions. The reward points may be hosted in computer systems separate from the electronic payment processing system.
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2011/0087530 discloses a data structure for a communication protocol in an electronic payment processing system, in which the data field for the message type identifier in a transaction message is extended to accommodate an identifier for crediting reward and an identifier for redeeming reward. As a result, the communication protocol is extended to process not only payment transactions in financial currencies, but also the crediting and redeeming of reward benefits.
In general, a typical electronic payment processing system includes separate computing systems such as a transaction handler, one or more issuer processors, one or more acquirer processors, and transaction terminals. The individual computing systems in the electronic payment processing system are generally connected via one or more computer networks. Resources for processing a payment from a consumer to a merchant are typically distributed among the computing systems connected via computer networks.
A typical transaction terminal of a merchant is configured with the resources to obtain consumer account identification information of a consumer to initiate a transaction message and communicate the transaction message to an acquirer processor for processing; a typical merchant account is controlled by an acquirer processor; a typical consumer account is controlled by an issuer processor; the transaction handler of the electronic payment processing system interconnects the acquirer processors and the issuer processors and has the resources to route messages from acquirer processors to responsible issuers processors based on consumer account identification information and route messages from issuer processors to responsible acquirer processors based on identification information of merchant accounts.
However, extending the communication protocol of an electronic payment processing network may involve undesirable impacts to certain computing apparatuses within the electronic payment processing network and thus may have difficulties in its implementations.
The entire disclosures of the above discussed patent documents are hereby incorporated herein by reference.